WATCH: The short Irish film starring Brendan Gleeson that won Martin McDonagh his first Oscar

"Six Shooter," now available to stream for free via the Irish Film Institute's IFI Archive Player, is the perfect precursor to the 2023 Oscars.

Overwhelmed by grief following the death of his wife, Donnelly (Brendan Gleeson) shares a train carriage home with a troubled young man identified only as the ‘Kid’ (Rúaidhrí Conroy).

As the Kid becomes more agitated and foul-mouthed, the journey takes on a violent and dangerous hue – for the bereaved Donnelly and for other hapless passengers on the train.

Not for the faint of heart, playwright Martin McDonagh’s film debut features his characteristically savage dark humour, and the profanity and violence which would surface in his later critically acclaimed feature films "In Bruges," "Seven Psychopaths," the Oscar® winning "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" and the Oscar® nominated "The Banshees of Inisherin."

"Six Shooter" is part of The Oscar® Collection: A Selection of Irish Academy Award® Nominated Short Films. It won the Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short Film in 2005. To see more from this collection, click here.

The Irish Film Institute’s Oscar® Collection: A Selection of Irish Academy Award® Nominated Short Films.

A great short film, like a great short story, conjures worlds with clarity and economy, bringing viewers on journeys which are brief but deeply engrossing. Since the 1950s, Irish filmmakers have mastered the short film form and secured international recognition with an impressive array of awards including many Academy Award® nominations and victories. Popularly known as the Oscars, the awards are the most famous and prestigious in the entertainment industry.

This collection brings together a selection of these award-winning films – ghostly tales and pitch-black comedies, illuminating documentaries and exquisite animations – populated by an array of famous folks such as Seán O’Casey, Orson Welles, Fionnula Flanagan, and Brendan Gleeson. The films, directed and written by Irish men and women, date from 1951 to 2018.

The Oscar® Collection: A Selection of Irish Academy Award® Nominated Short Films is drawn from material preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive.

This programme is supported by the Government of Ireland through the National BCP Network.

“Six Shooter” is published here thanks to the Irish Film Institute (IFI), who IrishCentral has partnered up with throughout 2023 to bring you a taste of what their remarkable collection entails. You can find all IrishCentral articles and videos from the IFI here.

To watch more historic Irish footage, visit the IFI Archive Player, the Irish Film Institute’s virtual viewing room that provides audiences around the globe free, instant access to Irish heritage preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive. Irish Culture from the last century is reflected through documentaries, animation, adverts, amateur footage, feature films, and much more. You can also download the IFI Archive Player App for free on iPhone, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku.

IrishCentral has partnered up with the IFI throughout 2023 to bring you a taste of what their remarkable collections entail. You can find all IrishCentral articles and videos from the IFI here.